Books for Teens and Young Adults
Last updated: March 19, 2024
The best books on Political Engagement For Teens, recommended by Adrienne Kisner
Are you a teenager who is furious about the way the world seems to be going? Do you feel powerless and overwhelmed? Author Adrienne Kisner recommends five really good books that will inspire and inform teens and young adults, giving them the tools to get involved in activism, to understand politics—and to change the world.
The Best Psychology Books for Teens, recommended by Jessica Flitter, Laura Brandt & Nancy Fenton
Three award-winning US high school psychology teachers—authors of the website Books for Psychology Class—share their recommendations of the best psychology books for teenagers, students and their teachers, and reflect on why storytelling is a key aspect of the art of teaching.
The Best Economics Novels for Young Teenagers, recommended by Yana van der Meulen Rodgers
Economics need not be dry or didactic. Here’s a suggested reading list of novels with economic themes to appeal to young teenagers.
The Best Classics Books for Teenagers, recommended by Olly Murphy
Caesar, Cicero, Achilles, Socrates, Plato: millennia later, we still talk about them. Olly Murphy, classics teacher at Wycombe Abbey, one of England’s top girls’ schools, recommends books and explains why classics remains one of the most exciting subjects for teenagers to study.
The Best Fantasy Books for Young Adults, recommended by Zoe
Fantasy novels, with their limitless scope for possibility, appeal to children with vivid imaginations. Here 14-year-old Zoe, who lives in the US and is a big fan of the genre, recommends her current favourites.
The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten
Audiobooks are a great way to keep teenagers entertained and informed. Mary Burkey, an expert on kids’ audiobooks, and Robin Whitten, editor and founder of AudioFile magazine, talk us through the wonderful titles that were finalists in this year’s Audie Awards in the ‘Young Adult’ category.
Best Football Books for Kids and Young Adults, recommended by Dave Cousins
As World Cup fever builds to irresistible levels, there is no better time to get kids reading by presenting them with a few books about ‘the beautiful game.’ Award-winning children’s author and self-confessed football fanatic Dave Cousins, recommends five fantastic football books for kids and young adults.
The Best Rick Riordan Books, recommended by Alex (age 13)
This is a big week for Rick Riordan fans as The Tower of Nero, the final book in his Trials of Apollo series, is published. Here, Alex, a 13-year-old boy living in Oxford, explains what Rick Riordan’s books are about, why he finds them so mesmerizing, and which book you might want to start with if you’re interested in reading them.
The Best Coming-of-Age Novels About Sisters, recommended by Laura Wood
Coming-of-age stories unfold at the point at which a young person goes out into the world – full of potential and change. Siblings, at this important crossroad, also have to establish themselves outside of their relationship to each other. Author Laura Wood recommends five of her favourite novels that explore the intense, sometimes destructive, relationships that exist between sisters.
Rachel Hickman recommends the best Novels Set in Wild Places
Rachel Hickman, co-founder of Chicken House Publishing and author of One Silver Summer, selects books with wild settings that have appeal to older children. She discusses how a strong use of nature adds drama and meaning to a narrative, and the way that setting can become another character in a story.